Incredible Flight on Antonov AN-124 Cargo Transporter

- Massive, massive, Antonov 124 Ruslan. (dramatic music) So let's go into the Antonov. It looks like it will be ready to receive

cargo

soon. Let's go to the upper deck and take a look at the cabin. Quite a challenge to climb those stairs. I have never seen a cabin as big as this,

incredible

. - Volga 2612 from East Midlands to Toulouse. - It's like a passenger cabin inside an Antonov 124

cargo

plane. Who wears earplugs if you're an AvgGeek on the Antonov? - Volga 2612, Runway Two Seven, ready for takeoff. - Now for entry 27, happy

flight

. (intercom chatter in Russian) (engines roar) - I think my AvGeek actually came out today. (dramatic music) The huge freighter Antonov 124 Ruslan has just arrived. 400 tons of freighter behind me, and today I'm very lucky to be able to document the entire cargo experience and then fly on this Antonov 124. (dramatic music) So let's get into the Antonov, follow me. (engines whir) It's actually empty.

It looks like it will be ready to receive cargo soon. The design of the plane is to be self-sufficient when the plane arrives at any destination, it does not need additional infrastructure. They have all this plywood here, and you can see all these tubes used for loading and unloading. And I can see some tires. Look how many spare tires, one, two, three, four, five, six. Everything is carried on the plane in case they need additional support, it's all here. It's amazing, isn't it? Vladimir just joined me. He's the head of load planning here. He is going to explain to us what exactly is happening.

How many crew members here usually do the loading and unloading? - We have a

flight

crew of six people and a technical crew of seven people. All of these guys are licensed engineers. This crew is capable of repairing aircraft, finding problems and rectifying them at any airport in the world. - And then you can load from the front or you can also load from the back. - Yes, from behind we load with a crane system and we can drive large vehicles from behind. - Ah, you can drive big cars, big vehicles inside. - Out of the trucks. - Good. - Now we open the front ramp, and the planes will be three degrees shorter with respect to the runway. - Oh, so all this can fail? - It will be flat, yes.

And then in front of the plane, we'll use the extension ramp. (energetic rock music) And right now our loadmaster, Konstantin, is installing an extension ramp, leveling it with a laser, because we have to install the extension ramp on the floor of the plane on absolutely one surface, without any curves. Normally these feet of large pieces of ramp should remain on the ground, on the asphalt, but to load special things we install them on the ramp supports. And then an extension ramp will be built in front of the plane, at the same angle. (energetic rock music) - So, while you prepare to load cargo, let's go to the upper deck to take a look at the cabin.

I've never been in a cabin like this. It's quite a challenge to climb a set of stairs just to get to the upper deck here. Ha, phew! Amazing, amazing cabin. Six men driving this Antonov 124. It's a huge office. I have never seen a cabin as big as this one. Incredible. (dramatic music) - This aircraft was designed in the 1970s and is still a modern aircraft. Even at that time, they designed controls for fly-by-wire airplanes. - Wow, in the 70s design, fly by wire. - Yes, but it is absolutely reliable. Very good aircraft control system. And, of course, our airline is working on modernizing its planes.

And you see here, a new multifunctional display to help pilots control the planes. To see the navigation we installed a new radar. It is of better quality and more suitable for international flights. And you see, when they sit here, you are at an altitude of 10 meters. - Yes, I guess one of the highest cabins on the plane. (somber music) - Navigator workstation. We have here navigation computer, navigation equipment, multifunctional display, long-range navigation system. Another GPS navigation computer. And it also uses GPS and the Russian navigation system. This is the chief flight engineer. His responsibility is the engine systems, hydraulic systems, air conditioning system, fire fighting system.

He has his own computer, allowing him to control almost everything on this plane. This position is electrical system flight engineer. His responsibility is energy, electricity, batteries. And these flight engineers usually change positions. On one flight a chief engineer and on another flight another chief engineer, in fact, is a very good specialist. It is a workstation for a radio operator. His responsibility is to communicate on the ground with the air traffic controller. To maintain the frequencies it is necessary for him to have all the required radio equipment at his station. - Oh ho! Here behind the cabin I can see that this is our crew's rest.

I see it's very cozy here, you can sit down, right? Yes. - Yes, and we have a compartment. Two crew compartments for the rest of the crew. And sometimes we carry half a crew on the planes to extend working hours. And here people can really have a good rest, drink tea, coffee and prepare some food. - They're like the seats on a train, right? - Yes, and do you see that it is seat number three? -UH Huh. Oh! - Look. - You have more seats up there! Ah, so one person can sit here. - Yes, yes, you can sleep here. - Yes, then you can really have six beds.

Very cool, very cozy. I also like colors, in fact I like flowers, obviously. My mother is a fan of these. (laughs) - But actually now we are entering the front technical compartment. And in this compartment are many, many systems. Fuel support, electrical system, inertial system and we also have the fire fighting system here. It belongs to firefighting gas for emergencies. This equipment is actually a reducer that retracts the flaps when we fly to make airplanes in landing or takeoff configuration. - It's really eye-opening to see the crew resting just behind the cockpit, such a great rest for the crew.

Avionics in the back, and amazing, just amazing, built in the 70s this way. And one more interesting thing, look at the plane. You can see from the front to the back. There aren't many airplanes that can do that, and this is a pretty unique feature. It is an incredibly complex operation. Now you see that the crane has arrived behind me. The crane will help carry the cargo to the front door. (energetic rock music) So the crane has now started loading the cargo. We will board the plane shortly, but we will not be allowed to see the cargo.

In fact, we are not allowed to film the cargo. It is a very sensitive article. Typically, the An-124 carries large loads such as generators, aircraft engines, satellites and mobile hospitals for humanitarian purposes. Also the large size transport load. I just found out today that the Antonov is carrying 21 tons of fuel for the flight to Toulouse. (energetic rock music) - Just looking around the plane and checking the condition of the engines. Landing gear surface. (speaks Russian) - Today we are preparing for the flight. Volga 2612 from East Midlands to Toulouse. - Cruise level, it will be two nine zero.

And speed, approximately 700 kilometers per hour. Today we expect full powers for takeoff. - Is this an easy plane to fly or is the Antonov 124 very difficult to fly? - For me the type of plane is easier. - Compared to Boeing. - Compared to Boeing! - Compared to Boeing, yes. (Sam laughs) (crew speaking Russian) - When the startup procedure is complete, the sign will be green. The nose gear is locked in the ground position. - Green light. - There will be a green light. (energetic rock music) - This is the Antonov 124's tow bar, and later we will use it to push the plane back. - Oh, look, I'm told this piece of equipment is the world's largest tow bar for any aircraft. (energetic rock music) We're going to take off soon, but the tailgate stays open because they're going to put in a tow bar.

Once the plane is towed and pushed back, they will reattach a tow bar. And now I'm going to sit in a hidden place, which is the cabin crew rest, which is actually here, there above me. So it is 10 meters high where it is. A complete compartment independent of the cabin. This is the aft cabin crew rest. Wow, this is hidden, look at this! It's like a passenger cabin inside an Antonov 124 cargo plane, it's quite cozy here. (energetic rock music) And this is actually a loadmaster station. In fact, you can also listen, but only if you understand Russian.

You can listen to intermediate communications. And I actually found many, many interesting things. This one here is for shining shoes, so you can sit here and wash your shoes. Get all the dust off your shoes, great. And this is for your jacket, get rid of all your stuff on the jacket. So while you're sitting, this is the entertainment. Shoe shiner or jacket shiner, which one do you like? - Volga 2612, booth one zero seven, push approved to face east. - Setback has already been approved, looking east, Volga 2612. (engines screech) Volga 2612 requests start. - Volga 2612, start approved and I have your authorization when you are ready to copy. - Startup approved and we are ready to copy the clearance, Volga 2612. - Volga 2612 cleared to Toulouse, which was a departure on November third, squawk zero five seven seven. - Volga 2612 request a taxi. - Volga 2612, minimum power.

Exit gate one onto Foxtrot and take a taxi initially. Wait at point Alpha Seven for Runway Two Seven. Tune in to nine nine four hertz from Brussels. (engines complain) - I kept these earplugs, but who uses earplugs if you're an AvGeek on the Antonov? The louder the better. These guys were loading the plane. Now they come back and change their shorts. It's like coming home. This is like your second home in heaven. - Volga 2612, behind landing heading one four five via Alpha One. Line up and wait, Runway Two Seven behind. Volga 2612 is ready to go. - Calling ready to take off, Volga 2612. (engines whir) (engine speed increases) - This is a very typical Antonov move on the runway.

We start revving the engine slowly, accelerating slowly for about four minutes, then we'll get going. And it's raining really hard outside right now. You can't see anything here, you can only hear the engine, the vibration and the noise. - Volga 2612, Runway Two Seven, clear for takeoff, wind one eight two degrees, four knots. (engine tone increases) - Here we go! - Now in Entry Two Seven, happy flight. (intercom chatter in Russian) (engines roar) (energetic rock music) - The crew is very tired because they have been working since 7 a.m., about eight hours of work. Now you know, it's very hot in the cabin and it's better to take a nap.

So it's actually a really strange experience during the trip here that there's no window, you can't see, but you feel the boom and sometimes there's a little bit of shaking, turbulence, up and down, a little bit of vibration. You can think of it as an upper deck Jumbo, a 747, quite similar, it's quite cozy. Or you can even think that you are in a spaceship, something like that, a military plane. I think my AvGeek actually came out today. You can see that I am much more excited when I see the plane and fly it. I've been up since 5 a.m. m. this morning, but now it's around 5 p.m. m., 12 hours later. (engines whirring) (energetic rock music) We've got macaroni and cheese, sausage casserole, Cajun beef.

This is the main dish, heated in the oven. The food tastes very good on the Volga-Dnepr airline. - Volga 2612, bonsoir. Continue descent, flight level one four zero, moving north one eight two. Expect ILS entry level one four eight. - Waiting for the ILS to approach one four eight, descent to level one four zero, Volga 2612. - It's going down. (engines roar) (rumbling) We just landed, that landing was very soft. Even though we are in a tube we can't see it, but I love it. It felt like raw aviation. This plane, designed in the 1970s, when pollution wasn't a problem, fuel barrels weren't a problem, and noise wasn't a problem.

It's just pure aviation, an

incredible

experience, I certainly enjoyed it very, very much. This made my day, or this made my year. Thumbs up. Vladimir, thank you for giving me the experience of the Antonov 124. I hope you continue to carry heavy cargo and continue to fly the Antonov Ruslan in the sky. - Yes, thank you very much for your best wishes. It is our gratitude. (engines groan) - We just arrived in Toulouse, but the crew has to stay because they had to spend hours unloading again. So I take my hat off to the team for their dedication and hard work.

If you ask me what it's like to fly in the Antonov 124, I'll tell you there's nothing like it. Is incredible. It reminds me why I love aviation so much. It is a great experience. (hiss) (ding) (pop)